What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about the United States of America?

[Atheus]

1) Guns and killing. Sorry that's the very first and most overriding thing I think of.

2) Ambition and the will to make big things happen - the moon landing comes to mind.

3) General dislike for anything not originating in America, or failing that, false claims that said thing did in fact originate in America. Ask an American who invented the car or the jet or whatever and they'll say "US of A!" but it's hardly ever correct.

4) Weird sport. Why? Wwhhhhhyyyyyy?!?

 

[BurnItDwn]

Originally posted by: ric1287

Originally posted by: BurnItDwn
How are prostitutes or drug dealers any worse than normal people?

Prostitutes want to offer a service and charge a fee, should be legal.
Drugs if abused are obviously bad, but there may be some usage that in moderation, could actually be good in some cases for some people. The drug dealer is only selling a product, no different than most other dealers, only a larger markup and some higher risks, and usually no medical coverage.

Correct, and there is also 0 violence attributed to those 2 activities, which is always a plus.

Some drug dealers and prostitutes may use violence or be subject to violence, but wouldn't the problem then be the violence itself?

Also, most "drug dealers" are just high school or college age kids that sell bags of weed to their friends or whatever, the last thing they know about is violence.

 

[Chiropteran]

Originally posted by: torpid

I'm not sure what you are getting at here, but it seems to me you are suggesting that those of us in better areas of the country should think positively about the country and pretend like those worse parts don't exist?

No. What I'm getting at is that the local standard of living is what matters, and the overall "low" average of the US is irrelevant because we don't live in the crappy areas that pull the average down.

 

[torpid]

Originally posted by: Chiropteran

Originally posted by: torpid

I'm not sure what you are getting at here, but it seems to me you are suggesting that those of us in better areas of the country should think positively about the country and pretend like those worse parts don't exist?

No. What I'm getting at is that the local standard of living is what matters, and the overall "low" average of the US is irrelevant because we don't live in the crappy areas that pull the average down.

Right. How does that tie back to the OP though? That's what I'm trying to figure out. When I think of the US in the abstract I don't tend to think only of my immediate surroundings or how good I have it.

 

[Knight7]

right at this moment two things, Bully, and Israel's bitch.
after that, Land of the Free, Home of the Whopper.

 

[Duddy]

President Barack Obama!

God Bless the USA!

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

It reminds me of the George Carlin line about "think how stupid the average person is and then think about half of them are even dumber." As fucked up as America is, we're the only hope the world has for bypassing the periodic "dark ages" that history shows has been the norm for every other form of government.

 

[Arcadio]

Originally posted by: Mill

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: Amused
A bunch of spoiled whiners who don't know how good they have it. So instead of singing the praises of a country that affords them one of the highest standards of living on Earth, they choose the "cool" cynical route and attack it for issues that most likely don't even affect them.

Does the US have it's faults? You bet. Would I want to live anywhere else? Hell no.

Um, we don't have the highest standard of living on Earth. I also never said I wanted to live anywhere else. This thread was in response to another thread that was pointing out the flaws in another country so it got me to thinking that we shouldn't be so smug to point the finger with the state our country is in right now.

BTW-We NEED to criticize our government. If we were all just a bunch of mindless sheep we'd all live in Alabama or Texas and drive pickup trucks and vote for George W Bush over and over and over...without criticism or nothing would ever change.

Yes, we do have the highest standard of living.

And we have damn good standing to point fingers at Colombia. They suck as a country.

Yes, we need to criticize our government when it deserves it, but NOT our country. You didn't ask people what they think of when they think of the US gov. You said when they think of the country itself.

What's wrong with Texas?

Colombia does not suck as a country. You have never even been there.

Reps. Colombia is such an awesome country. I would gladly give all of you a full tour of such paradise.